My 2 Year Old Was Trying To Shoplift....He Was Just A Little Confused!
By singlemommy
@singlemommy (2955)
United States
November 14, 2009 10:06pm CST
This is actually an amusing story, or at least I believe it to be. Yes, even though I caught my son trying to shoplift, I found it funny, but you have to hear the whole story before casting judgement on my sense of humor.
I took my 2 year old son Trick or Treating on Halloween. Oh, he had such a blast, he enjoyed going house to house and getting candy in his pumpkin. Most houses the people told him to get whatever he wanted from their bowl of candy, so he did. Well, I was getting a little thirsty so we stopped at the local convience store to get a soda. When we walked in he went straight to the toys. He looked at them for a minute, said, "HMMMMM", then he grabbed a bottle of bubbles and put them in his bucket. I said, "Oh no, we don't just grab something at the store on Halloween, we have to pay for things at the store". I took the bubbles out of his bucket and put them back on the shelf, then we went and got a soda and I asked him, "Would you like to have some bubbles?". He replied, "YES!". So, I let him go get the bubbles and I paid for them. I know this isn't your normal shoplifting story, but I do believe that children get confused at times. He thought that since he was going from place to place and getting to pick out what he wanted at every house that he was supposed to do it at the store too.
Have your children ever gotten confused about something like this?
8 people like this
28 responses
@Slewis77 (47)
• United States
15 Nov 09
I am a mother of 3. Each one of my children went through this phase. Unfortunately, it may last for a few years. If I did not notice in the store and we already walked out, we would return to the store and I would make them apologize for what they did. After a few times of embarrassment they stopped. Just keep you eye on them!
You did do the right thing, because at this age the children just don't know any better and they need to be taught. Best of Luck.
3 people like this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
15 Nov 09
Yes, I believe all children go through this phase. I remember my mom telling me about how my brother had asked for a piece of gum at the grocery store one time and she told him no. She said when they got to the car, he took it out of his pocket. She said she made him take it back in the store and give it back. She said the lady at the register said, "Oh, he can have it, I will pay for it". My mom said she told the lady, "I told him no, he couldn't have it, so no he can't have it even if you pay for it". I commend my mother for this, she was trying to teach him a lesson and even though the cashier was trying to be sympathetic on my brother's part, my mom knew he needed to learn his lesson.
1 person likes this
@reoko10 (578)
• United States
15 Nov 09
Wow! I have a little story to tell you my 1 year old did something that made me go crazy. My daughter after I gave her a bath and did her hair took Vaseline and put it all over her hair I was so up set I had to put her back in the tub and wash her hair. It was the most work I had to do for the day, I would like to know why do little kids do some of these things and make us have to work so much harder.
2 people like this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
15 Nov 09
I think children are just naturally curious about the world around them. I think when we get older we forget that there is so much to learn. Kids do the strangest things sometimes, but it's all a part of growing up, I suppose!
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
15 Nov 09
That is cute in a way
He will have got confused because People told him to get what he wants and the poor little Darling does not know the difference yet between a store and Peoples House where he is aloud to take without having to pay
Poor little Man lol
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
15 Nov 09
Yes, I had to watch my sons when they were about your son's age. Although I didn't take them out for Halloween till they were in kindergarten, they thought that since I filled my cart and left the store with stuff that they could do the same. Somehow, they missed the part about paying! So I made sure that when they wanted something I made them wait till I paid for it--it belonged to the store until I paid for it. It made an indelible impression on them, especially when they started watching the exchange and caught me catching the cashier in a mistake and giving money back to her. My sons are honest as the day is long now. 
You're doing a good job, keep it up! 
You're doing a good job, keep it up! 2 people like this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
15 Nov 09
Thanks! I do believe that honesty is the best policy too! I hope my children grow up to be as honest as your sons!
@sagnik42 (3592)
• India
15 Nov 09
I had a similar experience with one of my cousins. She was 1 and a half years old. We went to a store to buy goods. My cousin, who was with my aunt just started picking up things at random and put them in her pockets. Oh, she is great in keeping things in the pockets of her dress. Suddenly my aunt realized that my cousin was suddenly looking chubbier than usual. When she checked she found stuff like candies, peppermint tablets and a lot of small things from her pockets. My cousin cried a lot that day when her mother took everything out of her pockets and put them back in the shelves. We had a really tough time that day.
2 people like this
@randomusername (125)
• Canada
15 Nov 09
LOL thats funny ahah i didnt think your story would be as good as this. Ahaha we little kids used to be so confused like that weren't we ahah heheh
2 people like this
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
23 Nov 09
I guess it can be confusing, I have had an experience much like this when I was 3.
My mom told me and I thought it was quite funny aswell. On saturdays me and my mom used to go out for groceries and when all the groceries where done we would go to the post office where they had a small shop aswell that sells stickers for the collectable stickerbooks. I would get 5 packages each saturday, so I knew exactly what was coming. My mom was talking to the cashier which was a friend of her and I asked her if I could get the packages. She told me that it was ok and so I took 5 packages and put them in the grocery bag. She was still chatting, taking another 5 packages from the rack and paying for them. I had learned not to interupt when grown ups are talking, so I did not say a word. When we went outside I said: "Yippee, now we have 10 bags!" I concluded that my mom had paid for all of them, which she didn't as she did not see my slide the packages into the bag. She did give me permission to get them, but was to busy chatting with her friend and did not think about it anymore. She went back to the store later that afternoon to pay for the addition 5 packages, but since she told me I could get them, she did not take them back.
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
15 Nov 09
My husband was just telling me about his youngest son, when he was about 2 years old. LOL He and his mother dressed the boy up as a cute little tiger cub, and took him from house to house trick-or-treating. Well, he had a great time. The next night when his parents told him to go put on his pyjamas, instead he put on his tiger suit, and made a run for the door. "More, more, more!!!" hahahahahaha Hubby and his ex-wife had to explain to the little guy that Hallowe'en only happened once a year. haha
1 person likes this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
15 Nov 09
That is cute. My son keeps saying that he wants to go "trick or treat", I keep telling him that we can't do it until next Halloween. It is cute though!
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
17 Nov 09
I don't think your squirt quite gets the concept of money and paying at the counter for what he wants or needs. A two year old is still a baby, just a baby with two feet under him and two hands to get into things. "Shoplifting" is a fairly complicated concept. You toss in trick or treating right on top of this bit, you have a right mess of confusion in a very tiny mind.
*
If this was about a five or seven year old, I would be a little more worried. Ten? All bets are strictly off!
@ketybhagat (4123)
• India
17 Nov 09
Poor darling ! What is the child to know of shoplifting or as a matter of fact anything that is against the law. To his innocent mind, everything that happened was right and the bubbles was just part of his haloween treat. By explaining to the child, you did right to clear his misconception. Just keep telling him again and again, so he gets to understand the right from wrong. In their innocence, everything is right.
1 person likes this
@mommyfied (243)
•
23 Nov 09
when my daughter was two years old, she went through the same phase. she liked this toy phone so much. we were at a stall and i was looking at some toys. when i looked down i saw that her skirt was bulging. and there was the toy phone in between her legs. i was mortified. but the sales people were really laughing. i got the phone from her and paid for it. i told her, "baby, if you wanted something just ask mama to buy it for you." i think she was afraid that we'd leave without it.
1 person likes this
@Apples24 (421)
• Singapore
15 Nov 09
Aww, this is bad, maybe you should try talking to your son and tell him the bad things about shoplifting and tell him how horrible is jail. he is 2 years old and he still has lots of things to learn, it is up to you to take this matter lightly or not. But try to discourage him from stealing things. But he is only 2 years old and he gets confused, don't worry he will grow up and he will learn on his own
1 person likes this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
15 Nov 09
Yes, I did tell him it was wrong. Children don't always understand everything, they need things explained to them.
@mmichaellin (65)
• United States
17 Nov 09
Poor child. This should teach him a lesson:think before you act. You should punish him, but not severely. A light punishment so that he will think twice before doing it again. That would be a suitable solution.
1 person likes this
@liquorice (3887)
•
15 Nov 09
Ah, that's a sweet story, and Halloween is very confusing. As well as teaching children that it's ok to just take things and put them in their bag/pumpkin, it teaches them that it's fine to accept sweets from strangers, to knock on strangers' doors, talk to people they don't know and beg, lol! 
I had a lot of explaining to do after this Halloween (my daughter's first). She had a great time though. She's three, and it was so funny seeing this band of three year olds going around the houses in their outfits, all a bit uncertain as it was their first time. You can probably guess that I loved it too!
Actually my daughter's still confused about not being able to eat things before we've paid for them. Sometimes she thinks that once we've taken things off the shelf they're hers. I suppose that is confusing, because you are holding the thing, yet it isn't yet yours!!
I had a lot of explaining to do after this Halloween (my daughter's first). She had a great time though. She's three, and it was so funny seeing this band of three year olds going around the houses in their outfits, all a bit uncertain as it was their first time. You can probably guess that I loved it too!
Actually my daughter's still confused about not being able to eat things before we've paid for them. Sometimes she thinks that once we've taken things off the shelf they're hers. I suppose that is confusing, because you are holding the thing, yet it isn't yet yours!!1 person likes this
@celticeagle (165954)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Nov 09
I want to thank you for sharing this sweet story with us. Keep are so sweet and totally innocent. I enjoy watching my grandkids growing up and experiencing new things. Their challenges and frustrations really are interesting to both help evaluate and to watch how they come out of that period of their lives.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
15 Nov 09
It is something that kids this age do. They are still learning what is right and what is wrong. I do not think it is shoplifting as you did see him take it and had him put it back. Kids at that age do not know that you have to pay for things in a store until they are told and even then it takes many times of telling them for them to finely remember.
1 person likes this
@junmae (1586)
• Philippines
16 Nov 09
Maybe he was just confused because he just went into a trick or treat where everything is free so he thought that the bubbles is also free. But you have to still say to him that it is bad to get things from a store especially when it is not for you. He is just a baby so I think he is excuse.
1 person likes this
@triplejazzm51 (1373)
• Philippines
16 Nov 09
I think they just need a little oreintation for every new things they are getting into.
@bluray (408)
• Singapore
16 Nov 09
My chils is still 1 year old .but i believe that it is every habit and it should be discouraged at very early stage so that the child understand that it is really a embarrassing deed.As a child everyone is tempted to pick the attractive things placed in the shop.
